Porsche’s new hybrid Cayenne receives larger battery and electric drive

Before the fourth generation of the Porsche Cayenne receives a purely electric offshoot, Porsche has fundamentally revised the current third-gen Cayenne with far-reaching measures to the drive, chassis, design and equipment. This also applies to the plug-in hybrid.

The system output of the Cayenne E-Hybrid – in both the SUV and the SUV Coupé – increases to 346 kW in combination with the revised V6 petrol engine and a new electric motor that has been boosted by 30 kW to 130 kW. The energy content of the battery has been increased from 17.9 kWh to 25.9 kWh compared to its predecessor, which should enable a purely electric range of up to 90 kilometres according to WLTP, depending on the equipment. For the first time, the larger battery can also be charged with a three-phase 11 kW on-board charger; the facelifted Cayenne model does not offer a DC charging option either.

In addition to the revised powertrains, a new chassis with steel springs is already available ex-works, which is supposed to offer a wider range between travel comfort and performance with adjustable shock absorbers – a new adaptive air suspension is available as an option. The model enhancement measures are also clearly visible in the interior: the cockpit of the Cayenne now clearly leans towards the electric model Taycan. The instrument panel features a curved display, the small automatic gear selector is located at the top of the dashboard and, for the first time, a separate passenger display is available as an option next to the central infotainment touchscreen – all as in the Taycan. The big difference to the Taycan: A special film on the passenger display ensures that the display cannot be seen from the driver’s seat – which is why a video can also be played there while driving in the Cayenne.

There is a good reason why the carmaker has invested in one of the “most extensive product upgrades in the history of Porsche”, according to series manager Michael Schätzle: the third generation of the SUV model, which was first presented in 2017, will continue to be built for quite some time; there will be no fourth generation with an internal combustion engine. As Porsche boss Oliver Blume explained on the sidelines of the world premiere of the Cayenne facelift, the purely electric Cayenne is to come onto the market “in the middle of the decade”. As a combustion engine, however, the Cayenne could continue to run in parallel until 2030.

porsche.com, automobilwoche.de (Blume interview in German)